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'I Am Not Afraid of Death' [SPIEGEL INTERVIEWS ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN]
Der Spiegel ^ | July 23, 2007 | Christian Neef and Matthias Schepp

Posted on 07/25/2007 1:38:48 PM PDT by Feldkurat_Katz

'I Am Not Afraid of Death'

In an interview with SPIEGEL, prominent Russian writer and Nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn discusses Russia's turbulent history, Putin's version of democracy and his attitude to life and death.

SPIEGEL: Alexander Isayevich, when we came in we found you at work. It seems that even at the age of 88 you still feel this need to work, even though your health doesn't allow you to walk around your home. What do you derive your strength from?

Solzhenitsyn: I have always had that inner drive, since my birth. And I have always devoted myself gladly to work -- to work and to the struggle.

SPIEGEL: There are four tables in this space alone. In your new book "My American Years," which will be published in Germany this fall, you recollect that you used to write even while walking in the forest.

Solzhenitsyn: When I was in the gulag I would sometimes even write on stone walls. I used to write on scraps of paper, then I memorized the contents and destroyed the scraps.

SPIEGEL: And your strength did not leave you even in moments of enormous desperation?

Solzhenitsyn: Yes. I would often think: Whatever the outcome is going to be, let it be. And then things would turn out all right. It looks like some good came out of it.

(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: kosovo; nato; putin; russia; solzhenitsyn; sovietdissidents
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To: spanalot
He is an idiot Russophile

He's a Russian, not a Russophile. He's entitled to patriotic feelings towards his motherland, and if he were a transnational progressive without any, I would think less of him.

a disgrace to his fellow victims in the gulag.

Words fail me for telling you how vehemently I disagree.

-ccm

41 posted on 07/25/2007 9:18:59 PM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: spanalot
In my opinion, you fail to account for the full response of Solzhenitsyn. He give Putin support for bringing Russia together. Toward the end of Yeltsin’s term, there were experts (in the West) that were concerned that The Russian Federation might actually break up. Regional Governors were taking control and thumbing their noses at the central government. Putin has plenty of warts, but he has accomplished good for Russia. The good has been to focus on saving the country, restoring the central government, establishing private property rights by law, with free enterprise as a goal, and going after corrupt plutocrats that sucked Russia dry.
On the other side of the coin, he has stifled democratic growth, censured the media, actively worked against opposition parties, glossed over the evil past of the USSR, and bullied countries like Ukraine, the Balts and Georgia. Mr. S even talks about the country needing an opposition.
He is no sycophant for Putin.
42 posted on 07/26/2007 4:52:55 AM PDT by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: Feldkurat_Katz

bump


43 posted on 07/26/2007 4:54:14 AM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: spanalot
The man is clearly not an idiot. He is Russian to the core. Have you read any of his books? This man has suffered tremendously for his principles. I wonder how man people would endure such suffering for their principles?

If you disagree with something specific, articulate an academic argument to support your an homonym attack.

44 posted on 07/26/2007 4:57:15 AM PDT by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: B-Chan

“overtly aggressive towards the U.S. or our allies, or committing crimes against humanity”

Where to begin? How about arming the middle east to kill our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Shutting off gas to Europe in the midst of a freezing winter and killing 2000.

Did I mention the poisoning of various free world leaders, journalists, academics?

You are no supporter of the US or democracy.


45 posted on 07/26/2007 5:37:02 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: PetroniusMaximus

“he had to say regarding the Veitnam war”

Please enlighten us.


46 posted on 07/26/2007 5:38:04 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: PetroniusMaximus

Sozi is a Putin boot licker now and a shadow of his former self - a disgrace for proponents of freedom.


47 posted on 07/26/2007 5:40:50 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: Feldkurat_Katz
Not afraid of death, eh?


48 posted on 07/26/2007 5:41:02 AM PDT by SlowBoat407 (It's never a good time to get sucked into an evil vortex.)
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To: SlowBoat407

LOL


49 posted on 07/26/2007 5:41:48 AM PDT by Sue Perkick (And I hope that what I’ve done here today doesn’t force you to have a negative opinion of me….)
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To: Vietnam Vet From New Mexico

no - but the problem is that Solzi loves Putie who is trying to bring back communism.


50 posted on 07/26/2007 5:42:42 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: ccmay

“Words fail me”

I’m sure they do.


51 posted on 07/26/2007 5:43:58 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: GeorgefromGeorgia; Tailgunner Joe; lizol

“articulate an academic argument to support your an homonym attack.”

Its “ad hominem” - and see my other posts or do you refuse to see that Solzi is a Putie bootlicker who is happy to see the resurgence of the iron curtain.


52 posted on 07/26/2007 5:45:48 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: skinkinthegrass

Yeah, I had no idea he was still alive.


53 posted on 07/26/2007 5:47:34 AM PDT by GraniteStateConservative (...He had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here...-- Worst.President.Ever.)
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To: GeorgefromGeorgia

“He is no sycophant for Putin.”

Pls cite one instance where he has criticized Putins despotism.


54 posted on 07/26/2007 5:48:24 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: spanalot

He specifically stated in the interview that Russia need political opposition. OPPOSITION TO ______, YOU GUESSED IT PUTIN.


55 posted on 07/26/2007 5:57:03 AM PDT by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: spanalot
conducting ill-planned reforms and kowtowing to the West. ..........Like I said, Solzi is an idiot.

Why does criticizing kowtowing to Western politicians make him an idiot. We ourselves are all about criticizing our own politicians and idiots, apparently like you, who kow tow to them.

56 posted on 07/26/2007 5:57:27 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: ccmay
Words fail me for telling you how vehemently I disagree.

Words don't fail me. The guy is an idiot or a DU plant. I don't mean planted by DU, but that too. He as the cognative capacity of one of those plants that holds converstations with Mr. Wales, Sr.

57 posted on 07/26/2007 5:59:38 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: AndyJackson

“We ourselves are all about criticizing our own politicians and idiots, apparently like you, who kow tow to them.”

You fail to make the distinction between criticizing individuals or parties and criticizing “the west”. I am pro western civilization and against Kremlin thugs that killed 100 million in the last century.


58 posted on 07/26/2007 6:02:21 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: sittnick
I can't believe I am reading this on Free Republic.

Oh, I can. Lately we've devolved into "Daily Kos - Right". ;)

59 posted on 07/26/2007 6:04:01 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("Wise men don't need to debate; men who need to debate are not wise." -- Tao Te Ching)
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To: GeorgefromGeorgia

There is plenty to criticize about Putin and Solzi has failed that - and only supports his despotism.


60 posted on 07/26/2007 6:04:10 AM PDT by spanalot
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